Are Montblanc 144 Ramses II or Nikolai I genuine even without original packaging, and why do they often turn up on eBay only in simple cases?

The 144s of the Ramses II and Nikolai I editions frequently offered in simple cases on eBay are generally genuine; counterfeits of these writing instruments are so far not known to the forum. Many collectors value the writing instrument itself and not necessarily the original box, so this is frequently missing on the second-hand market. With direct purchase at Montblanc, by contrast, no one would forgo the high-quality original packaging. Collectors must therefore decide for themselves whether the writing instrument alone or the complete packaging has priority.